Ducati Diavel Carbon Reviewed – “Don’t Call Me A Cruiser”

The 2015 Ducati Diavel is a bit of a head-scratcher until you ride it, that is. You don’t need perfect vision to see that this 2015 Ducati Diavel, in any of its variant guises; the Standard, Carbon Red, Carbon White or the limited edition Titanium like before, it has the strength to bowl you out clean with its looks, design and overall appeal. The latest avatar, seen in its Carbon Red guise here may have the same silhouette as the older model, but a closer look reveals a couple restyled features like the cut headlamp unit which now houses LEDs and lends the bike a grittier looking face.



The new Diavel comes with a cool split instrumentation with the speedo, tacho, clock and engine temp filling up the upper half of the digital console, while the one mounted on the long sweeping 17 litre tank displays info and rider control options like the 8-levels of traction control, ABS that can be switched off, distance trips, clock, average consumption, distance to empty, engine temp indications, and other stuff for you to cycle through. On the left corner of the lower display lies the smallest of indicators that if not paid attention to could be the cause for worry while dancing with this Diavel, the digi-fuel indicator gauge. Though there’s a lot of tech involved with this motorcycle, it’s not exactly the Starship Enterprise of its time, because most of the Japanese and American motorcycles of this calibre come with the same safety and power delivery features. But by way of usage of the sophisticated electronics through simple yet suave buttons, makes everything feel a little better and in a way, grand. Even the key-less starting sequence to this bike is fun.



Then there’s the radiator shroud that hugs the bike tighter and more angular cut exhaust tips that accentuate the beautiful single sided swingarm and that rubber monster of a Pirelli Diablo Rosso II rear. In addition to the obvious carbon bits that bring down this bikes weight over the standard variant, the wheels are different too. These ones are forged alloys, rims on the standard model are cast iron, while the front suspension gets a coating that makes braking and its’ overall functioning a tad smoother.



The saddle is spot on with the pegs and bars keeping you in a rather upright and slightly stretched forward position. Mechanically, the new bike stays pretty much the same as the last. The 1198cc Testastretta 11° Dual spark motor that lays nestled into Ducati’s signature trellis frame is identical as far as power delivery goes with 162hp and 130.5Nm of torque on tap through the ride by wire throttle. The 2015 model has a 4 per cent increase in mid-range torque delivery over the older model, but this improvement isn’t a very prominent. The bike comes with three riding modes that regulate throttle response, traction control and power delivery; Urban (100hp), Touring (162hp low) and Sport (163hp high) to cycle through on the TFT display on the tank. Power delivery in urban feels rather dull and boring while the bike feels its lively best in Sport. Acceleration in a straight line is tremendous, with the throttle being superbly sensitive to the slightest of actions.



The throttle is light, the clutch is forgiving and the bike accelerates clean and smooth with a little if any pleasant vibes felt through the bars up to the 10,000rpm limiter, taking you to triple digit speeds without a fuss. Hard cornering isn’t one of this bike’s fortes but the Diavel remains composed and predictable on long sweeping bends. Riding the Diavel, you’ll want to keep to the highways as much as you can. It’s a place where the Ducati feels more at home. In a straight line it’s linear and strong from low revs. Sure, the city is fun if you’re seeking attention. This Ducati isn’t at all hard to manoeuvre around tight spots in town, too.



Overall, it is smart and attractively-designed. The tech-packaged Italian beast has exclusivity and art splashed all over it. Although cheaper than before, the best looking power cruiser still comes at a high price. You have to pay ₹14.22 lakh for the Standard Diavel, ₹17.43 lakh for the Diavel Carbon and ₹17.91 lakh for the Diavel White.